During GASS 2003 at the Melbourne Museum, our guest, well-known Sydney magician and Skeptic Steve Walker introduced Vic Skeptics to Melbourne performer, Mark Mayer. Mark, as it turns out, apart from being a consummate performer, has highly developed Skeptical credentials of his own.

Mark was invited to feature at our November 12 public meeting. His theme was “The History of Spiritualism“, and was as much a lecture as a magic show. He illustrated his presentation at each stage with an appropriate baffling, audience involving illusion.

Following positive feedback from the show, Mark developed his performance into the one-man theatre show “Talking With the Dead – Or Lying to the Living?”

Following the great success of the Victorian Skeptics stands at the “Great Australian Science Show” in previous years, we will have a stand at “Science Week 2005“. It should be lots of fun with science, magic, fortune telling, lots of debate – and the bed of nails!Where?

Homeopathy is an unusual kind of medicine that was invented in the early 19th century as an alternative to the leaches and blood-letting that were popular at the time. It’s so popular these days that homeopathic remedies can be found in almost every local chemist, and every health food shop. It’s a multi-million dollar industry.

The only trouble is that, despite many personal endorsements, there’s no real proof that it actually works. Further, it also claims to break a basic law of chemistry (and cooking!): the more you dilute something – the stronger it becomes. A tiny amount is stronger than a larger amount. Could this be? (see Homeopathy)

In recent times shops have even started selling homeopathic remedies for pets. In his talk for the Skeptics, outspoken vet, Dr Chris Andrews, will tell you why it’s just not on.

Dr Chris Andrews has been practicing as a vet for 28 years and is outspoken about his fears that clear thinking is being clouded in the veterinary profession.

Dr Andrews says that the public is demanding homeopathic treatments for their pets. “It is a great opportunity to make money which must not be taken. Homeopathy has a 200 year history of failing to get any runs on the board.”

“You are not treating the animal, you are treating the owner who is always already a believer in homeopathy.”

“Homeopathy texts talk about assessing the human psyche and treating the whole person, involving an emotional and spiritual assessment. How can this possibly be applied to animals?”

Everyone’s welcome to this talk … feel free to come along to our social dinner from 6:30 pm.

The STAV annually invites all Victorian school children to participate in the Science Talent Search. Students may enter in a variety of categories over six age groups from Junior Primary to Senior Secondary.

The philosophy behind STS is to encourage all participants, and to reward large numbers of the more deserving entries with modest bursaries, rather than adopt a “winner take all” stance.

For 2003, the fifty-second STS, the theme was “Freshwater“. This year the theme is “Out of This World“

Because of the nature of the STS bursary system, about sixty children benefited from Skeptics’ support in 2003, with amounts ranging from $25 to $50.

Vic Skeptics’ Christopher Short (himself a former STS bursary winner) and Ken Greatorex attended the STS awards in 2003 and were fortunate enough to meet and interview some of “our” students. We were surprised to discover that Australian Skeptics Inc was their third major sponsor for 2003 in money terms, behind only the State Government and Latrobe University. This commitment is on-going, and has increased for 2004.

We’d like to thank STAV for staging the event and allowing us to participate; the Skeptics Foundation for appreciating the value of STS to Science education and the fostering of original and critical thought in Victorian children; and the kids who got involved.

NOTE: Vic Skeptics and Education

Vic Skeptics have undertaken a number of initiatives in recent years which could be described as “overtly Educational“, including The Great Australian Science Show, Science teachers’ conferences, attempting (with limited success) to maintain a Teacher Resource web page, the Science Talent Search and advertising in Science teacher’s publications. Several of our members have spoken to and conducted activities with school groups, and one of our guest Public Speakers last year addressed Science Education in Victoria. We distribute work sheets on Skeptical issues with mail-outs of Science Teachers’ Association periodicals, and run stalls at Teachers’ conferences. We demonstrated the Bed of Nails at a Psychology Teachers’ Conferences early in 2004 at STAV’s request.

Many Juice Bars trick people into buying worthless herbal supplements that may in fact harm you. They claim that products such as echinacaea, guarana and citrin are slimming, will aid memory or will boost the immune system despite little or no evidence. This report from the Australian Consumers Association. http://www.choice.com.au/viewArticle.aspx?id=104543&p=1

“The national regulatory body, Food Standards Australia New Zealand, said there was a ban on health claims for products, and juice bars that did so were promoting their products illegally.”

Australian Skeptical education team “The Mystery Investigators” are saddened to see that Channel 10 has decided to screen “Sensing Murder“, a series in which self-claimed psychics attempt to solve unsolved murders. This is an insult as psychics have never solved a crime and families of victims have reported the stress of being pestered by useless “psychics” with a fountain of false leads. http://www.mysteryinvestigators.com/news.htm

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Monday February 19: Skeptics Café

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YAS Blog Anthology

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This collection features some of the best online skeptical writing of recent years, as nominated by readers.
The book includes contributions fromDr Phil Plait of “Bad Astronomy”Dr Karen Stollznow of the Point of Inquiry PodcastBrian Thompson of The Amateur Scientist podcast
Skepticblog’s Daniel Loxton and Yau-​​Man Chan
New York City Skeptics’ Lisa Bauer
UK Skeptic Dr Chris French
Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe’s Evan Bernstein... and many others!
The e-book is available here or visit the Young Australian Skeptics website.